AP Thermodynamics study guide
Students should be able to...
 Calculate the specific heat of a substance.
 Define: enthalpy, entropy, heat of fusion, heat of vaporization, Hess's Law,
exothermic, endothermic.
 Know the First and Second laws of thermodynamics
 Calculate the heat required to heat water in all 3 phases, and between phases
 Label an energy diagram (exothermic and endothermic)
 Determine the change in standard enthalpy of a reaction (delta H)
 Determine the change in standard entropy of a reaction (delta S)
 Determine the change in standard Gibbs Free Energy of a reaction (delta G)
 Determine the heat of combustion for a reaction
 Determine if the reaction is exothermic or endothermic when given delta H
 Determine if the reaction is increasing or decreasing in disorder when given delta
S
 Determine if the reaction is spontaneous when given delta G
 Determine if the reaction is spontaneous when given delta H and delta S
 Relate calculations from delta G to Keq (G = -RT ln Keq)
 Use Hess' Law to determine reaction energies
 Find the specific heat of a metal (laboratory)
 Find the heat of fusion of ice (laboratory)
Sample AP problems:
1998-3) C6H5OH(s) + 7 O2(g) ---> 6 CO2(g) + 3H2O(l)
When a 2.000-gram sample of pure phenol, C6H5OH(s), is completely burned according to the equation
above, 64.98 kilojoules of heat is released. Use the information in the table below to answer the questions
that follow.
Standard Heat of
Absolute Entropy, S°,
Substance
Formation, H°f,
at 25°C (J/mol-K)
at 25°C (kJ/mol)
C(graphite)
0.00
5.69
CO2(g)
-395.5
213.6
H2(g)
0.00
130.6
H2O(l)
-285.85
69.91
O2(g)
0.00
205.0
C6H5OH(s)
?
144.0
(a) Calculate the molar heat of combustion of phenol in kilojoules per mole at 25°C.
(b) Calculate the standard heat of formation, H°f, of phenol in kilojoules per mole at 25°C.
(c) Calculate the value of the standard free-energy change, G° for the combustion of phenol at 25°C.
(d) If the volume of the combustion container is 10.0 liters, calculate the final pressure in the container
when the temperature is changed to 110°C. (Assume no oxygen remains unreacted and that all products are
gaseous.)
1994-25.
H2(g) + (1/2) O2(g) ---> H2O(l)
H° = - 286 kJ
2 Na(s) + (1/2) O2(g) ---> Na2O(s)
H° = - 414 kJ
Na(s) + (1/2) O2(g) + (1/2) H2(g) ---> NaOH(s)
H° = - 425 kJ
Based on the information above, what is the standard enthalpy change for the following reaction?
Na2O(s) + H2O(l) ---> 2 NaOH(s)
(A) -1,125 kJ
(B) -978 kJ
(C) -722 kJ
(D) -150 kJ
(E) +275 kJ
1994-35. For which of the following processes would S have a negative value?
I. 2 Fe2O3(s) ---> 4 Fe(s) + 3 O2(g)
II. Mg2+ + 2 OH¯ ---> Mg(OH)2(s)
III. H2(g) + C2H4(g) ---> 3 C2H6(g)
(A) I only
(B) I and II only
(C) I and III only
(D) II and III only
(E) I, II, and III
1994-58. N2(g) + 3 H2(g) ---> 2 NH3(g)
The reaction indicated above is thermodynamically spontaneous at 298 K, but becomes nonspontaneous at
higher temperatures. Which of the following is true at 298 K?
(A) G, H, and S are all positive.
(B) G, H, and S are all negative.
(C) G and H are negative, but S is positive.
(D) G and S are negative, but H is positive.
(E) G and H are positive, but S is negative.
AP Thermodynamics Study Guide Answers
1998 #3
(a) 2.000g x (1 mol / 94.113 g) = 0.02125 mol phenol (one point)
Heat released per mole = 64.98kJ / 0.02125mol = 3,058 kJ/mol (one point)
or, Hcomb = - 3,058 kJ/mol
Units not necessary
(b) Hcomb = - 3,058 kJ/mol (one point)
- 3,058 kJ = [6 (-395.5) + 3 (-285.85)] - [H°f phenol] (one point)
H°f phenol = - 161 kJ (one point)
(math error?????
- 173 kJ)
One point earned for correct sign of heat of combustion, one point for correct use of
moles/coefficients, and one point for correct substitution
(c)S° = [3 (69.91) + 6 (213.6)] - [7 (205.0) + 144.0] = - 87.67 J/K (one point)
G° = H° - TS° = -3,058 kJ - (298 K) (-0.08767 kJ/K ) = -3,032 kJ (one point)
Units not necessary; no penalty if correct except for wrong Hcomb from part (a)
(d) moles gas = 9 x [moles from part (a)] = 9 (0.02125 mol0 = 0.1913 moles gas (one
point)
**** 9 moles because it says “assume ALL products are gaseous”
P = (nRT) / V = [(0.193 mol) (0.0821 L atm mol¯1K¯1) (383 K)] / 10.0 L = 0.601 atm
(one point)
Units necessary; no penalty for using Celsius temperature if also lost point in part (c) for
same error
Multiple Choice
25. D
35. D *** note the reaction is not properly balanced!
58. B